Beauty Q&A: Your Beauty Questions Answered – Ask Ayesha

Ever wondered about how to carry off the latest beauty trend of the season? Or what products to use to make those dark circles disappear? Well help is finally here. Send in your queries to our resident hair and makeup specialist Ayesha Babar to Ayesha@asianstylemagazine.com, and we will get you your answers!

Dear Ayesha,

I am a 32 year old woman with Asian skin and I want to start experimenting with eyeliner. I have heard that cream and gel based eyeliners are quite good, so I would like your advice on which ones are the good ones.

(Samina K, East London )

Dear Samina,

You are right – gel based eyeliners are indeed much more versatile than the others. Do you use eyeliner regularly? If yes, then gel eyeliners can be as easy as the liquid or pencil ones with regards to the ease of application. If you are not yet very skilled at lining your eyes, especially when it comes to the more dramatic styles, then I would recommend practicing your application with a liquid eyeliner before.

Gel eyeliners are quite popular now and while earlier it was difficult to find good ones, there are quite a few companies that do gel eyeliners now. My favourite ones, that I have tried and tested over the years, are ‘fluidline’ from M.A.C. Cosmetics and ‘long-lasting gel eye liner’ from Bobbi Brown. Both give intense colour payoff and stay in place for many hours (not unless, like me sometimes, you rub your eyelid unconsciously!). On the high street, Maybelline also sells gel eyeliner for which I have seen some great reviews.

Most gel eyeliners come in a round pot and you will have to buy an eyeliner brush (with a thin straight or slanted end) with the pot in order to use the product. When using gel pots, it is important to keep the lid tightly on the pot when not in use to stop the product from drying out!

If you are feeling a bit experimental then you can even get these in a range of different colours.

Dear Ayesha,

My daughter is 16 years old, with very fair, pale skin. Over the past 2 years she has been breaking out around the cheeks quite regularly and even when the acne disappears, it leaves behind red acne marks. I have taken her to a dermatologist who has said that it is part of the hormonal changes that she is going through and medically there is nothing to worry about. However, my daughter feels very conscious about the red marks and I would be thankful for your advice in how she can conceal these.

(Jenny M, London)

Dear Jenny,

Growing up many changes in our bodies make us very conscious. It is important to receive support at this delicate age so that our confidence is not affected and that is the most important first step.

Since the marks are red in colour, your daughter will need to apply a colour corrector before she conceals. To neutralise the red tones, she will need to use a green corrector, as this cancels out the harsh pink colours. There a few different brands that do these; I have used the Smashbox green corrector in the past for similar cases and it has been quite effective.

After applying the corrector, dab some standard skin-coloured concealer on top as normal. I’d suggest using a medium coverage concealer for this purpose.

Dear Ayesha,

When buying foundation, is it important to match the colour to the neck or to the face? I’m confused because my neck is actually slightly lighter than my face!

(Mishal A, London)

Dear Mishal,

Being a different shade on the neck and the face is actually quite common. When it comes to matching the foundation, there’s really no right or wrong way and depends on the how different the shades are.

Generally, if your neck downwards you are the same colour with your face being a different shade, then match it upwards from your neck. If the neck is a different shade with the chest and shoulders and the face being the same colour (usually happens due to hyper-pigmentation on the neck), then match the foundation downwards from the face.